


Making Sure

by allonsysilvertongue



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Dad!Tony, I'm jumping from the heart ache to the happy ones, Iron Dad, Other, Post Infinity War, i imagined this is what happens at the end of Avengers 4, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 05:06:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14513184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsysilvertongue/pseuds/allonsysilvertongue
Summary: The Avengers managed to defeat Thanos with those trapped in the Soul Stone now released and well, but Tony still had nightmares.





	Making Sure

** Making Sure **

Tony woke with a jerk, the covers pooled around his waist. His breathing was labored, his eyes darting wildly. He stared at his hands, turning his palms this way and that. They were clean, not streak with dirt or worst, _ashes._

Next to him, Pepper stirred. She blinked, slowly pushing herself up.

“You are in New York,” she whispered soothingly, rubbing her hand up and down his arm in a comforting gesture.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He was in New York, next to Pepper. He wasn’t stranded in Titan, surrounded by deaths.

He was safe.

Yet, he couldn’t seem to slow down the erratic beating of his heart or stop his fingers from pinching his palm in anxiety.

Tony forced a smile on his face, made a joke about nature calling at odd hours before he kissed Pepper’s forehead and pulled the covers up to under her chin.

He left their room, walking quietly down the hallways of the compound until he found himself in front of the Entertainment Room. The lights were on and soft, deep chuckles could be heard coming from within. Stepping into the threshold, he saw Steve there with a beer in hand, laughing with Wilson and Barnes.

His gaze lingered on the two men. Their very presence was testament to the fact that it was just a nightmare and there wasn’t anything to be worried about. Except, Tony Stark often led his life waiting for the other shoe to drop and even if the ragtag team of survivors had managed to undo Thanos’ victory and brought the souls trapped in the world back, he still couldn’t help but be cautious.  

“Late night, huh?” Tony asked, leaning against the door frame.

The three of them turned in unison. Wilson tossed a beer in his direction.

“A lot to catch up on,” Falcon said.

Tony nodded. They had all been brought back three days ago, and he imagined after defeating Thanos, the three men would have interesting anecdotes to exchange, especially those two trapped in the soul world. Steve looked battle-weary – they all were – but his eyes were brighter and alive, and it was a nice change to see.

“See you guys tomorrow,” Tony raised a hand in farewell. “I have something to check on.”

Outside of the compound, the night was quiet and serene. Tony took a minute to breathe that in, trying to bask in this hard won peace. When he opened his eyes, he tapped twice on the center piece in his chest and the armour suited him up in seconds. Then he was in the air, flying towards Queens.

The streets below were busy even in the night. The lamps lighted up every street until he came upon a familiar neighbourhood. Locating that specific window in that particular apartment building was easy. Tony approached and even before he was near enough to be able to be heard, the kid was already sliding the window open.

“Mr. Stark?”

Just the sight of Peter peering at him with half his body out of the window made Tony breathed out in relief.

_He’s alive._

Logically, after seeing Wilson and Barnes, Tony was certain the kid was safe at home but he had to see it for himself. He had that niggling fear, a building anxiety that something might have happened and the only way he could silence the worry was to be able to see the kid.

Of course, he would feel a lot better and he wouldn’t have to take this trip to Queens if Peter could just move into a room in the compound. Peter would be close by and he would be safe. That was paramount to Tony – the kid’s safety.

 “Hey, kid, was just around the neighbourhood,” he said the second the mask retreated from his face.

“Oh,” Peter blinked. “I – I thought that – “

“No, no, nothing’s happened. All’s good. The world is safe.”

It was plain to see that Peter was traumatised. From what he had gathered as Peter stuttered and stammered trying to communicate his experience as he clung to Tony the moment he got the boy back, he had spent days alone trapped in the soul stone before Doctor Strange found him. Days spent in worry, confusion, anguish and fear.

“That’s good,” Peter nodded. “It’s just – you’re in your suit and I thought… Nevermind.”

“Dinner tomorrow at the compound – it’s an Avenger thing,” Tony told him out of the blue. “I’ll send a car.”

If the kid couldn’t move into the compound just yet, then he sure as hell could make certain that the kid would still be a regular face there. Regardless of Tony’s countless technologies at his disposal to keep an eye on Peter, ever since the kid died in his arms, he felt the need to actually have him physically nearby.

It was indescribable, something he felt deep within himself. It felt instinctive – a need to keep what was his safe. Even if it wasn’t something they acknowledge, the kid was as good as his own. He just hoped that this overwhelming protective feeling would slowly ease away given time. In the meantime, he already had plans to upgrade Peter’s Iron Spider armour.

 


End file.
